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BCC sweats over conference invite

BULAWAYO mayor Martin Moyo says his council is looking forward to attending the proposed national housing conference set to be held in Harare between July 12 and 15, as the platform will guide them in addressing their housing backlogs.

BY KHANYILE MLOTSHWA

(File Photo): Martin Moyo

Moyo, however, said his local authority was yet to receive invitation to the conference jointly organised by the Local Government ministry and a private company, Event Managers Greeyps (Pvt) Limited.

“If we are invited, we will participate. I am not aware that we have received any invitation as yet,” he said.

Moyo said the local authority regarded the conference as important, as it sought to address housing challenges.

“We need guidance and direction on the way forward in terms of housing challenges. The ideal programme is to roll out a massive housing scheme, which we can’t afford, to address the thousands in our waiting list. What is happening right now, all the efforts are piece meal.

“In the past we used to get loans from multilateral bodies, but we don’t have that now.”

The conference, running under the theme, Housing Resources and Investment Mobilisation Through Multi-stakeholders’ Participation for Sustainable Housing Delivery, is expected to facilitate investment in housing projects throughout the country.

The indaba will come as the government has rolled out an ambitious housing project in major cities and towns in a move perceived as a vote-buying gimmick by the ruling Zanu PF party ahead of the 2018 national elections.

Under the programme, the City of Bulawayo is expected to receive 15 100 stands as part of Zanu PF’s ZimAsset programme, but opposition activists have raised concern over the alleged politicisation of the scheme, as beneficiaries have been ordered to register at the ruling party’s Davis Hall provincial headquarters.